Virginia Business Name Search: Check Availability in the SCC CIS and the Core Name Test

To check whether a Virginia business name is available, search the State Corporation Commission's Clerk's Information System (CIS) at cis.scc.virginia.gov. The search is free, and it is the right place to start before you file anything. Use Name Availability to test a proposed name against the SCC's rules and see whether it is distinguishable from names already on SCC records. Use Business Entity Search to look up an existing company, its status, its registered agent and its registered office.

An available name gives you no trademark protection. Clearing the SCC means only that the Commission will accept the name for an entity. It does not stop another business from using a similar name in the marketplace, so you still need the additional checks covered below.

What the SCC Name Check Actually Tests

The SCC decides whether a name is acceptable under its Business Entity Names FAQ. Three rules do most of the work. First, the name must be written with letters and symbols that appear on a standard keyboard. The SCC excludes these characters: { } [ ] " < > ^ and the backslash. Second, the name must be distinguishable from every active entity name and from every designated, registered or reserved name on SCC records. General partnerships are the only exception. Third, the name must carry a required ending for its entity type, and it cannot state or imply a different entity type.

Online filing enforces the distinguishability rule for you. The SCC's online system will not let a new LLC or corporation form with an indistinguishable name. Paper filings that conflict are rejected. Either way, you lose time and filing fees if you learn about a conflict after you submit, so run the search first.

The Core Name Test

The SCC does not compare names letter for letter. It removes the required ending, along with words such as the, and, or, of and for, and it removes the marks such as periods and commas. It then compares what remains, which the SCC calls the core name.

Two examples show how this works:

• Conflict: "ABC of Virginia, Inc." and "ABC Virginia Company" have the same core name, ABC Virginia, so they conflict.
• No conflict: "ABC" and "ABCs" do not conflict, because the added letter makes the core name different.

Because of the core name test, a name that looks different on your letterhead can still be blocked. Search for the core words, not just your exact wording. Try variations with and without the ending, and with and without articles, before you decide.

Required Endings by Entity Type

Your name must end with a word that matches your entity type. The accepted endings are:

• Limited liability company (LLC): "limited company," "limited liability company," "LC," "L.C.," "LLC" or "L.L.C."
• Stock corporation: "company," "corporation," "incorporated" or "limited," or the abbreviations "Co.," "Corp.," "Inc." or "Ltd."
• Limited partnership: "limited partnership," "LP" or "L.P."

Professional LLCs and professional corporations have additional ending options. Check the SCC FAQ for the professional forms if your business is a licensed profession. A name also cannot state or imply a different entity type. An LLC cannot use "Inc." or "Corp." in its name, because those endings describe a corporation.

Restricted Words and Phrases

Some words are restricted no matter how distinguishable the name is. Check these before you settle on a name:

• "Bank" and "trust": No entity may use these unless it is in that business, or unless it is clear from context that it is not.
• Insurance, bank and trust company, and public service company: A corporation may not imply that it is a bank, trust company, insurance company or public service company unless it will be one.
• "Engineer," "architecture" and "land surveying": These terms and their derivatives must match lawful services you will perform, or the context must make clear that you are not offering them.
• "United States," "national," "federal" and "reserve": Entities in banking, loan, brokerage, insurance, savings or trust businesses cannot use these words.

If your business touches any of these categories, describe your planned services accurately when you file, and ask an attorney to review the name before you order signage or printing.

Reserving a Name While You Set Up

If you need time to finish your paperwork, you can reserve a name for $10. A reservation holds the name for 120 days. You may renew it during the 45-day period before it expires, for another 120 days. You may also transfer a reservation to another party for $10.

Reservations are filed in CIS, and you need a free CIS account to file them, as Va. Code 13.1-1013 provides. When you form the entity, the reserved name becomes the entity name. Keep the reservation active until your articles are accepted, or you may lose the name to someone else.

Step by Step: Running Your Search

1. Open CIS at cis.scc.virginia.gov and choose Name Availability.
2. Enter your proposed name exactly as you want it written, with the required ending. Confirm that it uses only permitted characters.
3. Search the core words by repeating the search without the ending, without articles and without punctuation.
4. Review the matches. Open each close match in Business Entity Search to see its status and whether it is active, reserved or designated.
5. Check restricted words against the lists above.
6. Reserve the name if you need time, or move straight to filing your articles if you are ready.

Reading an Existing Entity Record

Business Entity Search shows one of four statuses: Active, Pending Active, Pending Inactive or Inactive. The status alone does not tell you whether a name is free. Read the Reason for Status field, which tells you whether the entity can reinstate.

An inactive entity can be reinstated within five years. An inactive record therefore does not mean the name is open for you to take. Ask the SCC Clerk's Office before you assume a name is available, and do not treat an old search result as final. The record also shows the registered agent and the registered office, which helps you identify the owner of a close match.

Foreign Entities and "For Use in Virginia" Names

If your business is formed in another state and wants to register in Virginia, the SCC applies the same distinguishability test to you. A foreign entity whose name is not distinguishable, or whose name lacks a Virginia ending, must adopt a designated name with the words "for use in Virginia." A foreign corporation's registered name costs $25 for one year. Confirm current foreign registration procedures with the SCC Clerk's Office before you file.

Assumed Names (DBAs) Are a Separate Filing

If you want to operate under a name that differs from your legal name, you need an assumed name certificate, not a name reservation. Assumed names are filed with the State Corporation Commission, Clerk's Office, for $10 for an individual or an entity, and they are not filed with the circuit court. An assumed name filing has no uniqueness test, so the SCC does not check it against other entity names the way it checks a formation name. Filing an assumed name does not give you the exclusive right to use that name.

Beyond the SCC: Trademark and Commercial Checks

A name on SCC records does not protect the name commercially. Before you commit to a name, run these checks:

• USPTO trademark search: Search the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office trademark database for federal registrations and pending applications in your industry.
• Virginia trademark and service mark filings: Review state registrations under the Virginia Trademark and Service Mark Act.
• The web and social media: Search the names you are considering on search engines and social platforms to see who is using them and how.
• Domain names: Check whether the matching domain name is available, since customers will look for you there.

A thorough name review can turn up conflicts that the SCC will never flag. If you plan to invest heavily in a brand, talk with a qualified intellectual property attorney before you launch.

After You Choose a Name

Virginia has no general statewide business license, and the SCC issues none. Clearing a name does not mean you are licensed to operate. The local business license is the Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax under Va. Code 58.1-3700 et seq. Cities and counties administer it, usually through the Commissioner of the Revenue. Not every locality levies a general license. Va. Code 58.1-3704 allows a locality to levy none, and some localities, including Stafford, Rockingham, Bedford County, Washington County, Montgomery County, Louisa and Fluvanna, have no general county license. Towns can also displace the county tax. Each locality sets its own rates and filing deadlines, so confirm the requirements with your local Commissioner of the Revenue.

Some trades need a state board license, such as those issued by DPOR or the Department of Health Professions. Those requirements apply separately from the name you choose.

Watch for Third-Party Solicitations

After a new filing, you may receive letters, emails or calls from companies offering to add your business to a "directory," sell a corporate kit or renew your records for a fee. Some of these solicitations are sent by third parties posing as the SCC. Pay only through the SCC's own site at scc.virginia.gov/businesses, and confirm any payment request directly with the SCC Clerk's Office before you send money.

Next Steps

Run your Name Availability search, read the status of any close match, and check the trademark and domain records before you commit. Then confirm the current fees and processing times on the SCC's business page and the local requirements with your city or county.

This guide is informational only. It is not legal or tax advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Name conflicts, trademark rights and entity choice depend on facts specific to your business. Consult a qualified attorney for legal questions and a CPA for tax questions, especially for complex situations such as multiple owners, professional licensing or a name you plan to protect nationally.